


Another Life

by selinameyer



Category: House M.D.
Genre: F/M, post break up babyfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 14:38:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18994612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selinameyer/pseuds/selinameyer
Summary: It had started out as a joke.She had been nauseous for the last few days, no longer being able to keep down the yogurt and granola she usually had for breakfast. Her period was a week or two late; she had lost track at this point --  but it wasn’t as if she had ever had a regular cycle to begin with. When the thought of taking a pregnancy test crossed her mind, she acted on it as a joke. With her history there was no way she could be pregnant.It took five minutes for the test results to show. She did her usual bedtime routine; brushed her teeth, washed her face, checked on Rachel. Everything was fine.Her phone went off.She walked into the bathroom and picked up the test.Two little pink lines were there to prove her wrong.





	Another Life

**Author's Note:**

> yeah i know it's 2019 but i wrote this for a friend's birthday last year so i figured i would post it now that it's been a few months lol

It had started out as a joke.   
  
She had been nauseous for the last few days, no longer being able to keep down the yogurt and granola she usually had for breakfast. Her period was a week or two late; she had lost track at this point --  but it wasn’t as if she had ever had a regular cycle to begin with. When the thought of taking a pregnancy test crossed her mind, she acted on it as a joke. With her history there was no way she could be pregnant.    
  
It took five minutes for the test results to show. She did her usual bedtime routine; brushed her teeth, washed her face, checked on Rachel. Everything was fine.   
  
Her phone went off.    
  
She walked into the bathroom and picked up the test.    
  
Two little pink lines were there to prove her wrong.   
  


* * *

  
  
For the last year, his typical Tuesday night had consisted of The Real Housewives of Orange County, a glass of scotch, and Cuddy begrudgingly leaned against his side, not understanding the appeal of it at all.   
  
Up until a month ago, it had been his favorite day of the week. Just the two of them at his place alone, the kid with the nanny.   
  
When House had relapsed — a slip up that had only happened because he thought he was going to lose Cuddy,  _ his  _ Cuddy, to a diagnosis he couldn’t cure — she had dumped him on his ass as if the last eleven months had meant nothing to her.   
  
He had to admit — it stung.   
  
Being with her made him happy.    
  
He could count the amount of times he was genuinely happy in his lifetime on one hand.    
  
Their relationship was a partnership, though neither would ever have admitted it if asked. Cuddy would say she was in charge and House would say he was in charge but in the end they made compromises to please one another. She would spend Tuesdays at his place while he helped her with dishes when they were at hers. He put Rachel to bed if she was working later than he was. They’d fallen into a steady routine and he had started to love it.

 

House never thought he’d find someone to fall into a domestic pattern with. He  _ missed _ it. He missed  _ her. _   
  
There was a gentle knock on the door.    
  
House hauled himself from the couch, taking a moment to steady himself. These days the pain in his leg was almost unbearable. If he had still been in therapy, Nolan would have told him it was all in his head, that his lack of opening up about his emotional pain after the break up was manifesting itself physically in his leg.    
  
The knocking on the door continued as he approached it. He pulled the door open.   
  
“It was only a matter of time before you came back for a booty call.” He smirked as he looked down at a semi-stunned Cuddy. It was almost like she wasn’t expecting him to be home.   
  
“We need to talk.” She said quietly, not meeting his gaze.   
  
“Hm, you lost the ability to show up unannounced at my place for talks when you dumped me.” He said as he started to shut the door.   
  
“House.” She responded, stopping the door with her foot.   
  
He sighed.   
  
“What do you want, Cuddy?”   
  
“Can I come in? This isn’t a conversation that should be happening in the middle of the hallway — besides I ran into Mrs.Rodriguez downstairs and she gave me the dirtiest look...”   
  
“Yeah, she noticed you stopped coming around here and noticed I stopped leaving as often.” House replied rolling his eyes and stepping aside before heading back into the living room.   
  


Mrs. Rodriguez was one of his neighbors -- she’d moved in right around the time he had moved back into his place after rehab and she had taken a liking to him. she always made sure to say ‘hi’ when she saw him and as much as he hated pleasantries with strangers, Mrs. Rodriguez was the exception. Besides, the homemade cookies she’d leave at his door once a week made the small talk worth it.

 

“What’s so important that you want to talk about it in private?” He asked, dropping back down to his previously occupied position on the couch.    
  
He watched as Cuddy perched herself on the edge of the coffee table in front of him picking at the skin of her thumb, something she only did when she was anxious.    
  
That’s when he got a good look at her. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which she only did when she was frazzled or doing yoga, and he knew her yoga routine was in the morning, not at this time of night. He also noted that her eyes were glassy. 

Physically she was sitting in front of him, mentally she was in another dimension.   
  
“Well?”   
  
He watched as she bit her lip, reached into the pocket of her jacket, and placed a pregnancy test in front of him.    
  
His heart rose to his throat as he saw the two pink little lines on it.    
  
“I’ll probably miscarry, but I thought you deserved to know.” Cuddy said quietly, finally looking him in the eye.   
  
Her eyes were brimmed with tears. He nodded in acknowledgment, the lump in his throat rendering him unable to respond.    
  
They had never even discussed the possibility of having a child of their own. Given Cuddy’s history it had never even seemed plausible. Given her history, there was a high chance nothing would even come of this. 

 

“How long have you known?” He asked, breaking the silence between them.

 

“A few hours. I couldn’t bring myself to wait until morning to tell you. I should have called first, I’m sorry. I managed to schedule an ultrasound and some blood work on Wednesday morning to confirm. You’re welcome to join me but if you choose not to, I understand too. I’m not holding you to anything.” She responded, quickly wiping at her eyes as she stood. 

 

House stood and lead her to the door. 

 

“I’ll see you at work.”

 

* * *

Cuddy couldn’t help but anxiously check the time on her wristwatch. Her appointment had been pushed back twenty minutes and she had a board meeting in an hour. House of course was nowhere to be found. She had texted him earlier in the morning to let him know what time her appointment was and had received nothing in response. 

 

She’d meant it when she had said she wasn’t holding him to anything, but the lack of response still stung.

 

“Dr. Cuddy? Exam room 2 is ready for you.” A nurse said as she came over to her, holding her file.

 

Cuddy stood, taking a deep breath before she followed her over to the exam room.

 

“The doctor should be in momentarily.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

It felt like an eternity between the time she had entered the room and the time the door opened again.

 

“Forty-two year old female, coming in for blood test and ultrasound to confirm pregnancy.”

 

“House?” She asked skeptically.

 

“I’m disappointed you thought I’d immediately take on the deadbeat title.”

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

“Because I’m pretty sure we’d both rather have someone who’s actually competent sticking you with a needle to draw blood since if my memory serves me right, a month and a half ago I couldn’t hear the end of it after it took someone else three tries to find a vein in your arm.”

 

“Those bruises made it look like I was shooting up.”

 

“And god forbid the perfect little Dean of Medicine  _ ever  _ be associated with drugs. Oh, wait -- her baby daddy’s a druggie.”

 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She responded, rolling her eyes.

 

“Oh, calm down. I’m kidding. Roll up your sleeve.”

 

Cuddy rolled up her sleeve and watched as House tied the tourniquet around her upper arm before ripping open an alcohol swab and running it over the crook of her elbow. His touch was gentle and it made her realize how much she had missed it. This was the closest they had been in proximity since she had ended things.

 

“Deep breath.” House said as he stuck her with the needle. Of course he managed to find the vein on the first try and within a minute he had two labeled collection tubes ready to be sent to the lab. He removed the needle and patched her up with some gauze and a bandage. 

 

“Thanks.” She responded quietly as she applied pressure to the bandage. 

 

“Lean back and roll up your shirt.” House said as he reached for the ultrasound wand. He handed her the gel while he entered her patient info into the machine. She squeezed some of the gel onto her abdomen, absolutely hating the fact that it gave her goosebumps. 

 

“Whatever you do, don’t suck your stomach in -- that defeats the purpose and Wilson told me about the last time you had one of these done.”   
  
She shook her head in response. Of course Wilson had told him that. 

 

“Have you told Wilson yet?” She asked as he pressed the ultrasound wand to her abdomen.

 

“Nope. Was waiting until we did this so I can give him the proof right up front. He won’t believe me without seeing it for himself, and even then he’ll still think I’m lying, so I’m sure you’ll be hearing from him after your board meeting.”

 

She watched as he moved the wand over to the other side of her abdomen and paused. 

 

Cuddy could feel her eyes start to burn as they both stared at the monitor in silence. It was the size of a raspberry, but it was there. She heard the clicking as House took several screenshots. 

 

“I’ll print some extras, in case you want to send one to your mom.” House said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

 

“Print as many as you want.” She responded, surprised at how choked up she was. There were another few clicks before another sound filled the room.

 

“Nine weeks along...Heartbeat’s strong.” 

 

That was all it took for her to burst into tears. If this had been months earlier, she would have been ecstatic to be having a child with the love of her life. But they weren’t on the best of terms and she  _ knew  _ that it was mainly her fault. Throwing a child into the mix was just cruel to everyone involved. 

 

“Here.” 

 

She wiped at her eyes with the tissues House had handed her before using them to wipe away at the residue on her stomach.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She watched as he nodded in acknowledgement before handing her the print outs and walking out.

* * *

 

The moment he was in the privacy of a bathroom stall, House threw up. It wasn’t like him to get nauseous at life altering events -- on the contrary, he was usually detached about them, but this,  _ this  _ was not something he could ever have distanced himself from.

 

He hadn’t doubted it when Cuddy had shown up at his door two days prior, he knew then that she was pregnant, but to have confirmed it himself, to have heard its heartbeat…

 

It was like a suckerpunch to the gut. 

 

He knew that things were going to change drastically for him and he would have a hand in making some of those changes himself. 

 

The first of those changes being regaining his sobriety. If he could be sober for two years, he could do it again. He would check into rehab for a week to make sure he detoxed properly. What he couldn’t do was let Cuddy know where he was going, because the last thing he wanted her to think was that he was doing this for her. He wasn’t. He was doing it for himself. He was miserable. At least when he was sober and without Cuddy, he was just unhappy. What was the point of the high if it made no difference? 

 

House picked himself up and flushed before rinsing his mouth out in the sink and splashing water onto his face. 

 

He made his way up to Wilson’s office and opened the door, immediately slamming it behind him.

 

“What’s got your panties in a twist?” Wilson asked, not bothering to look up from the file he was writing in.

 

“Cuddy is with child.”

 

House watched as Wilson stopped writing and looked up at him, brow furrowed. 

 

“What?”

 

“Nine weeks.” House continued as he approached his desk, throwing the scans on top of the file Wilson had previously been writing in.

 

“There is no way in hell these are real.” Wilson responded as he examined the ultrasound scans.

 

“Believe me, don’t believe me. It doesn’t make a difference to me, but in about two months when Cuddy blows up like a blowfish, we’ll see where you stand.”

 

“Why are you so….calm.”

 

“Because I’ve known for a few days, gone through the five stages of grief or whatever.”

 

“You’re just telling me this now?”

 

“Just confirmed it now. Came straight here from the clinic.”

 

“So you’re telling me you doubted it when she told you?”

 

“No Wilson, I did not doubt it. This isn’t entrapment. She’s the one losing here. Just got rid of me a month or so again, and now she might be stuck with me for life.” House shrugged as he twirled his cane between his fingers.

 

“What are you going to do?”

 

“What do you  _ think  _ I’m going to do?” He rolled his eyes.

 

“Honestly? I think you’re going to hide. You two still haven’t addressed your feelings post breaking up, and throwing a pregnancy into the mix is only going to make things worse for you, because you know it’s going to add onto the hurt you’re already feeling.”

 

“Fuck off, Wilson.”

 

“Hey, you asked.” Wilson responded, throwing his hands up defensively. “You have the chance to prove everyone -- including yourself -- wrong. You said that Cuddy told you that you’d never be able to put anyone else above yourself or whatever. Talk to her. Find out what her plan is and show her that you can make the effort to be whatever it is that she needs you to be.”

 

“You think we should try and get back together.”

 

“She’s having your baby, House. The least you two could do is give it one more shot before you’re stuck with one another as co-parents.”

 

“ _ I  _ already know that but I can’t make her do anything.”

 

“For someone frequently referred to as a genius, you sure can be a moron sometimes. Make whatever changes you think you need to make, and Cuddy will realize that you deserve another shot on her own.”

 

“I’m going to get hurt again.” House responded, quietly.

 

“You don’t know that, House, and even if you do...hey, you’re going to be a dad. As long as you make an effort and don’t screw up too badly, that kid is going to love you for the rest of your life, so at least you’ve got that to gain.”

 

“Did you get that out of a hallmark card?”

 

“Take my advice, don’t take it. I couldn’t care less.”

 

“Oh please, you probably care more than anyone else involved in this situation.”

 

“Yeah, you know what? I do. You two are my friends. I want you to be happy. Or at least on good terms.”

 

“That’s just not realistic.”

* * *

  
The morning sickness was almost unbearable.She knew it was a misnomer, but she hadn’t expected it to be so bad.  It was constant, at all times of the day for the last two weeks. Cuddy could have sworn she was sick three times a day, at least. The only thing she could manage to keep down was veggie chips. Anything else and less than five minutes later she would be emptying the contents of her stomach into the trash can beside her desk, because making it to her bathroom was a feat in and of itself.

 

She pulled away from her desk and grabbed the trash can, heaving into it. Her eyes stung as she spit into it, using one hand to dig into her desk for some tissues.

 

“I’m taking a week off.” She heard as the door to her office slammed against the wall.

 

“I see the morning sickness hasn’t eased up yet...gross.” 

 

Cuddy heard the door click shut and the soft thudding of footsteps on the carpet as House approached her desk.

 

“Have you tried drinking ginger ale when you eat?”

 

She pulled away from the trashcan and wiped her mouth, discarding the tissues.

 

“You know how I feel about carbonated drinks.” She responded as she held her head in her hands.

 

“Stop being stubborn and just drink some damn ginger ale. The burping would make you a lot less miserable than the vomiting does.” He continued as he dropped into one of the chairs in front of her desk.

 

“Why do you need a week off?” Cuddy asked as she leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms.

 

“It’s been a while since I’ve visited my mom. Case has been solved, I have time off racked up from the last three years that I haven’t used, you should really be thankful I’m not taking the whole two months off. Figured that’ll be needed for a whole different reason in about seven months.”

 

She raised an eyebrow in intrigue at his last comment. The only reason he’d be planning to take two months off in seven months would be because if everything went well, that’s when she would be giving birth. Was he really willing to make an effort in this? She hadn’t expected him to abandon her in this, on the contrary, she had expected the minimal effort from him. This suggestion was more than she could have ever dreamed of. 

 

“I imagine your mother will be thrilled to hear the news.”

 

“I’m not telling her. Not now anyway. Giving it another month or two.” He retorted, looking her in the eyes.

 

The weight of his words hung in the air between them. She understood why he was doing it; she herself hadn’t told her mother yet either. At eleven weeks along she still wasn’t out of the danger zone. The less people knew, the better.

 

“Who have you told?” She asked out of curiosity.

 

“Just Wilson.” 

 

“None of your team?”

 

“Nope. They can figure it out on their own. You’re tiny, another week or two and you’ll pop and they’ll know immediately.”

 

“So kind of you to point out the weight gain.” She responded, rolling her eyes.

 

“It’s a marvel it’s happened at all with all of the vomiting. So can I take a week off or what?”

 

“You’re going to take it regardless of me approving it so go ahead.”

 

“You know me so well.” He smirked in retort. 

 

“Unfortunately. I’m assuming you’re taking the week as of today? It’s friday, so I’ll see you next Monday?”

 

“Yep. Next Monday.”

 

Cuddy watched as House stood and made his way out of her office.

 

“Don’t forget the ginger ale.” He said as he shut the door behind him.

 

She smiled to herself before opening up her laptop.

* * *

 

House checked into Mayfield on Saturday and checked out a week later. It wasn’t as bad as the first stint he had spent there, considering it was significantly shorter. A week was nothing compared to the two months he had spent there two years ago. The detox process though? The chills, the nausea, the unbearable pain that made him cry -- just as excruciating as the first time around.  If he could hold himself to it, this would be the last time he’d ever need to go through that again. 

 

In return for the special treatment of being released after only a week -- typically it was required that patients stay at the facility for two weeks minimum -- he’d had to cut a deal with Nolan and schedule a bi-weekly therapy session for the next  _ year _ . It was the only way he’d be able to leave after seven days, and as inconvenient as it had been to make the hour and a half drive up there, he knew that in the end he would benefit from it, even if it was begrudgingly so.

 

Before he could return to Princeton, he had two stops to make. The first would be to an old friend, and the second would be to his mother.

* * *

“What the  _ fuck _ ?” Thirteen asked as she walked out of the building.

 

“You went radio silent for a year, did you really think I wasn’t going to look into your whereabouts?” He responded as he pulled the passenger door open for her.

 

“I don’t know why I’m surprised.”

 

House rounded the car and got into the driver’s seat, throwing his cane into the back seat.

 

“So prison, huh?” He asked as he backed out of the parking space.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

He nodded in response before continuing.

 

“Well I’ll give you a quick briefing of what was missed in the last year. You’ve been replaced with someone smarter, but not as hot, Cuddy and I dated, I relapsed, she dumped me, she’s pregnant, and I’ve been fresh out of my second rehab stint as of -” He looked at his watch “three hours ago.”

 

“First of all, you’re a pig. Second of all, what? You guys are having a baby!? That’s so… exciting.”

 

“Are you stupid? Did the part about her dumping me go completely over your head?”

 

“No, I heard that, you asshole. It’s still exciting.” She gave him an excited slap on the arm. “You’re going to be a dad, which in and of itself is going to be comedic gold to witness. Besides, I’ve heard about how hard Cuddy tried to get pregnant in the past before giving up. Why did you relapse?”

 

“I’ll tell you why I relapsed if you tell me why you were in prison.”

 

“Those two things are not equivalent. Besides, if you don’t tell me, someone else at the hospital will and I’d rather hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.”

 

“I thought she was going to die.”

 

“Cuddy?”

 

He nodded.

 

“Why?” Thirteen asked, eyebrow raised in concern.

 

“She had a cancer scare. Mass in her kidney, turned out to be benign. They gave her some antibiotics that it turned out she was allergic to, but before we figured that out, the allergic reaction she had made it seem like the cancer that didn’t exist had spread to her lungs.”

 

He hadn’t thought about how he had felt during the entire fiasco since it had happened, and recounting it made his chest heavy. He had never been so afraid of losing someone he loved until that moment and in the end his actions had caused him to lose her anyway.

 

“She needed me to be there for her and I couldn’t bring myself to deal with what I was feeling. So I got high.”

 

“And she dumped you? Over one pill?”   
  


“Yep.”

 

“What a fucking bitch.” 

 

House couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. Of all things he expected her to say, that was not one of them.

 

“You said it, not me.”

 

“Of all the things for you to do to be the final straw with her, it’s relapsing because you thought she was going to die? Who does that? You love her, of course you’re going to have a visceral reaction to the possibility of her dying.  _ She  _ probably thought she was going to die too.”

“Yeah. So that’s it on that matter.”

 

“How far along is she?”

 

“She’ll be thirteen weeks on Monday.”

 

“How long have you known?”

 

“A month. She told me as soon as she found out.”

 

“Does she know you were at rehab.”

 

“No.”

 

“Have you guys talked about getting back together?”

 

“Also, no. And can you stop asking so many questions?”

 

“Fine, after this last one. Where are we going?”

 

“My mother’s.”

 

* * *

“I thought your mother lived in the south?” Thirteen asked as he pulled into the driveway of the Tudor style home in northern New Jersey.

 

“She did. Moved up here after my dad died.” House responded as he turned off the ignition and exited the car.

 

His mother had insisted on moving when he had gotten out of rehab. She didn’t have any reason to continue to live in Louisiana after his father had died. She promised that she wouldn’t show up announced and that he didn’t need to feel any obligation to visit her more often now that she was in closer proximity. He’d never had any intention of showing up to visit her anyway, but it was sort of a comfort to have his mom two hours away. 

 

House used his cane knock on the door as Thirteen stood beside him.

 

“Nice of you to visit your mother for once in your life.” Blythe said as she pulled open the door and eyed him. “And you’ve brought a friend other than James, such a way to change things up.” She continued before pulling him in for a hug.

 

“Hi, mom.” He responded as she patted his back.

 

“My boy.” She replied, softly before pulling away. “And this is?”

 

“Remy.” 

 

He watched as Thirteen extended a hand to his mother before she was pulled into a hug by her as well.

 

“Her name is Thirteen, no one calls her Remy.”

 

“Shut up, Greg. I’ll call her whatever she wants to be called.” Blythe quipped in retort before leading them into the house. 

 

“Yeah,  _ Greg _ .”

 

“If you want to have a job when we get back to Princeton, you won’t call me that again.” He responded, glaring at Thirteen as she chuckled.

 

“Food’s on the stove. Beer’s in the fridge. Coke if you don’t drink anymore. Serve yourselves.” His mother announced as she lead them into the kitchen and sat down at the table. 

 

“Do you have an ibuprofen?” He asked as he grabbed a plate and began to pile macaroni and cheese onto his plate. He’d only let his mother know he was stopping by that morning but it didn’t surprise him that she’d gone out of her way to make one of his favorite meals. 

 

“Cabinet to your left, bottom shelf.” She replied. 

 

House grabbed the bottle and spilled a few of the painkillers into his palm. He pain in his leg wasn’t too bad, but he knew it was best to attempt to quell it before he managed to get back to Princeton. He just needed something to tide him over for the next three hours at least. One hour at his mom’s and the two hour drive home.

 

“So Greg, what have you been up to lately?” 

 

He sat down beside his mother and angled his chair towards her. 

 

“Wilson told you, huh?” He asked before shovelling a forkful of macaroni into his mouth.

 

“Are you okay? Is this a repeat of Stacy?”

 

“No, mom. It’s not a repeat of  _ Stacy _ .” He responded irately. “I’m not okay, but I’ll have to be okay. What else did Wilson tell you?”

 

“Just that Lisa had broken up with you because you relapsed.”

 

“I got out of rehab this morning.”

 

“Good for you. I’m glad you’re dedicated to your sobriety.”

 

“I don’t want to interrupt a serious conversation, that I don’t even know why I’m here for - but this chicken is delicious.” Thirteen interjected, breaking the awkwardness that had started to form in the room. 

 

House hated many things, but one of the things at the top of that list was talking to his mother about his drug addiction. He couldn’t help but feel like he was disappointing her whenever they discussed the subject, but she always made it clear that he could never really disappoint her. 

 

“I’ll pack some leftovers up for you both to have for dinner tonight.” Blythe responded as she stood from the table pulled some tupperware out of one of the cabinets. “I always make extras for that specific reason.” 

 

He finished eating before standing and dropping his plate into the sink — he didn’t even bother to attempt to clean it because he knew the moment he did, his mother would slap his hand away and insist that guests don’t do chores in her home. He leaned against the counter as she packed their leftovers, waiting until she was finished before going into the real reason he had come to see her. 

 

House reaches into his pocket grabbed his wallet, unfolding it and pulling out one of the ultrasound scans from the day he had confirmed Cuddy’s pregnancy.

 

“I wanted you to have this.” He said quietly as he handed it to his mother. He watched as her hand flew up to her mouth and her eyes softened. 

 

“Oh, Greg…”

 

“It’s from a few weeks ago, so it’s a little bigger than it was then. Cuddy isn’t due for another ultrasound for another week so this is all I have for now.”

 

“Is this why you went back to rehab?” She responded, giving his arm a comforting squeeze.

 

He nodded in response. 

 

“I am so proud of you.”

 

* * *

 

Cuddy rolled her eyes as House walked into the exam room she was waiting in. He’d insisted on being there for her second ultrasound and of course had waltzed in late, not that it made any difference seeing as her doctor was actually running late this time. At first she had thought it to be another ploy from House to perform the examination himself, but that was quickly proven wrong when he wasn’t waiting for her in the exam room.

 

“Got you an everything bagel with that weird strawberry cream cheese you like, and no, it’s not low fat. Your doctor’s going to tell you that everything’s fine except for the fact that you’re underweight, so here’s to stocking up on carbs for the next six months.” He handed her a brown paper bag before plopping down in the chair next to her.

 

“Thanks, but you’re probably wrong about the weight thing.”

 

“Twenty bucks says I’m right.”

 

“Deal, but if you’re wrong you owe me two more clinic hours this month.”

 

“How’s the vomiting?”

 

“I took your advice. Ginger ale’s a life saver.” She responded as she reached into her purse and showed him the bottle of Seagrams she had started to carry with her. 

  
  


“Knew you’d give in eventually.” House smirked as he tapped his cane against the floor. 

 

She shook her head in response. Sometimes she hated the fact that he knew her like the back of his hand. 

 

“Are you free tonight?”

 

“Are you asking me out?” He asked in response, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I’m waving a white flag of surrender.” She responded, suddenly finding an extreme interest in her cuticles. 

 

The truth of the matter was that they needed to talk. They needed to have that argument that never happened after they had broken up, and she would rather have it sooner, rather than later when she was nine months pregnant. The quicker they got that out of the way, the less stressful it would be figure out how the hell they were going to make this work all.

 

“What time?”

 

“Actually, I was thinking I could come over? I’ll bring Chinese and we can just...talk.”

 

She watched as House opened his mouth to respond before being interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

 

“Dr. Cuddy...Dr. House.” 

 

Dr. Lopez was new to PPTH, but not new enough to not know that there was history between the two people she was greeting.

 

Cuddy had been trying to push for more diversity with the department heads and when the head of Obstetrics had announced his retirement earlier in the year, she had refused to fill his position unless she would be able to fill it with a woman of color. 

 

Maritza Lopez had graduated top of her class at NYU before attending med school at Michigan State. As a fellow Michigan alumnae, Cuddy knew that she had someone great running one of the hospital’s most efficient departments.

 

“Before we go ahead and do your ultrasound, you’re a few pounds underweight. Nothing too serious, but I don’t want it to become an issue later on. How’s the morning sickness coming along?”

 

“It’s gotten better this past week. It’s down gone from several times a day to just once. I’ve been lucky some days to be spared of it completely.”

 

“Good, good. And I’m assuming you’ve already started a vitamin regimen?”

 

“She’s already had one, but she’s added a few more to her arsenal.” House interjected.

 

Cuddy didn’t have the slightest clue how he knew that but it didn’t matter — she was sure she would find out anyway, she probably had her surprise written all over her face.

 

“You keep the new bottles on your desk.” He said turning to look at her.

 

“Okay...That being said, I know you don’t have any control over what you’re able to keep down, but I do want you to try adding a little more protein and maybe some starches to your diet.” Lopez instructed as she set her chart aside.

 

“You owe me a twenty.” House chuckled beside her as she rolled her eyes in response. 

 

* * *

  
The ultrasound proved everything was going well so far. The fetus was roughly the size of a lime and she was warned that not only should she start to feel some movement within the next few weeks, but that it would be wise to go clothes shopping too.

 

“You never gave me an answer about dinner.” She said once they were alone in the exam room again after the ultrasound had been completed. She wiped the remainder of the gel off of her skin, watching as House slipped the most recent scan into his wallet.

 

“I can’t tonight. Busy.” 

 

“House, we do need to talk about things…”

 

“Yeah, I get that but I can’t do it tonight. Any other day of the week works for me, but not Tuesdays.”

 

“You don’t do anything other than sit around and watch  _ Real Housewives  _ on Tuesday nights.” 

 

She rolled her eyes, annoyed as she hopped down from the exam table and grabbed her bag. Of course he would find that to be a bigger priority than discussing what their plan of action was going to be.

 

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Cuddy. I don’t have to stop everything just because you want me to.”

 

“No, you’re right, you don’t. It’s fine. You’re showing me what I can expect from you in these next few months —“

 

“I have a therapy session with Nolan tonight. I’m not trying to avoid you for once.” House snapped in response.

 

She stood in a stunned silence. A part of her was still waiting for the pin to drop, for House to walk away and leave her on her own. Clearly if he was going back to therapy after having stopped nearly a year ago, that wasn’t the case. 

 

“Yeah, figured that would shut you up.” He rolled his eyes as he looked down at her.

 

“I didn’t know.”

 

“I didn’t want you to know.”

 

“Ok. Dinner tomorrow?”

 

“See you then.”

 

* * *

She was about to set down the bag of food she was holding in order to knock when the door to House’s apartment swung open.

 

“Were you waiting for me?” She asked, brow raised as he stepped aside, giving her entrance to the hallway.

 

“No. Leg hurts, I was pacing to try and ease some of the pain, heard your heels as you were coming up the steps.”

 

“Oh. I can go if you want me to, we can do this another night.”

 

“It’s fine.” He grunted, taking the bag from her and limping into the living room. Her brow furrowed with concern as she noted that his limp was more pronounced than usual. She wondered how many Vicodin he had taken so far in order to try and quell the pain.

 

Cuddy stepped out of her heels before quietly joining him on the couch. 

 

“There’s water and ginger ale in the fridge.” House grunted as he handed her one of the take out containers. She opened it up and placed it on the coffee table before he handed her another one. It had been nearly four months since they had last eaten Chinese together, yet the routine they had created when they were still together remained intact. It was sort of comforting in a way.

 

“Do you need anything while I’m in the kitchen?” She asked as she stood and made her way across the room.

 

“A beer.” He responded as she was pulling open the door to his refrigerator. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed one of the bottles and a can of ginger ale, pushing the door shut with her hip.

 

“Thanks.” House responded as she handed him the glass bottle.

 

They ate in silence, the low murmur of the television on in the background. 

 

“So what did you want to talk about?” House asked once he had finished eating, discarding his plate into one of the left over bags.

 

Cuddy watched as he downed the remainder of his beer.

 

“The elephant in the room, obviously. We can’t keep tiptoeing around it forever.”

 

“Then go on, talk.”

 

“How do you feel about all of this?”

 

“You dumped me, and it turns out that you’re pregnant with my kid. How do you think I feel?”

 

“Hurt.”

 

He scoffed in response.

 

“I’m sorry, House.” She said softly. “I don’t know what else I can say to make this hurt either of us any less. This is  _ not  _ what I asked for and it’s sure as Hell not something you had ever even considered signing up for either, and I’m sorry for that too. I just want us to be able to find a way to make this work without one of us resenting the other.” She could feel her voice start to tremble as she continued. “You know that I love you, that I’ll always love you, no matter what the state of our relationship is. If we could just...talk about things on a deeper level, I think we’d be able to figure out how to do this together.”

 

“I am going to say something that no one would ever expect me to say.” He responded before pausing.

 

She could see the internal struggle he was having with himself, whether if being open with her would be beneficial or if it would end up hurting him again.

 

“You broke my heart. I know, you didn’t know there was one to break or whatever, but you almost died. I thought you were going to die, that I was going to lose you, and yeah, maybe relapsing was selfish of me, but it got me to show up at your bedside that night. It got me there to hold your hand and be there when you woke up. We both know that you would have hated me if I hadn’t shown up at all. You almost died. You had the right to be selfish with what you were feeling, but what you didn’t have the right to was blind siding me. When you showed up at my door and confronted me about the Vicodin, I could have denied it, but I chose to be honest with you. I was ready to do whatever you asked me to, to talk about whatever you wanted to talk about in that moment to prove to you that it wasn’t going to happen again. You wanted me to stop lying to you when it came to our relationship and I did, I made an effort to be what you asked me to be and I still ended up being the bad guy.”

 

Cuddy wiped away at the tears that had started running down her cheeks as she heard him sigh beside her. 

 

“You could never be the bad guy to me.” She said quietly, closing the gap between them. She sat up on her haunches and took his face in her hands before kissing him.

 

* * *

  
House instinctively pulled Cuddy onto his lap, his hands gripping her waist as she ran her tongue along his lower lip, her fingers toying with the hairs at the name of his neck. His hand slipped underneath her blouse and splayed itself across her back; it was an automatic response, something that was still ingrained in him months later. 

 

God, how he had missed the feeling of her warm, soft skin against his. He rubbed his thumb against the small of her back, feeling her arch into his touch. 

 

Her hands slid down to the button of his jeans and he slipped a hand over hers.

 

“Are you -“

 

“Yes, I’m sure.” She murmured against his mouth, slapping his hand away and unbuttoning his jeans, undoing the zipper.

 

He felt her hand slid into his boxers and he groaned in response, his hips naturally moving towards her. He could feel her smile against his mouth as she shifted her skirt, guiding him inside of her.

 

She pulled away from him and leaned her head against his shoulder, letting out a quiet moan as he felt her adjust above him.

 

“You’re not wearing any underwear.” He commented as he kissed her neck, sliding a hand between their bodies and finding her clit. Cuddy’s arm’s wrapped around his neck as she slowly found the right rhythm.

 

House ran his mouth along her jaw, finding his way to her mouth. He kissed her, his free hand cradling her curls. She whimpered into his mouth as he increased the pace of his fingers against her clit. He could hear the breathy desperation in her whimpers as she increased her own pace against him. He pulled his fingers away from her. 

 

She frustratingly huffed against him.

 

He wasn’t trying to rush this. The sooner it was over, the sooner Cuddy would take off with her tail between her legs, claiming that this had been a mistake, that she’d let her hormones get the best of her, as if she hadn’t been the one to initiate.

 

Carefully, he wrapped her legs around his waist and he guided her onto her back. 

 

Once he had her settled against the couch, he draped one of her legs over the back of the couch and kept the other at his hip. He thrust into her and she gasped in response, her hands finding his hips and pulling them to her.

 

He knew every curve of her body, but that didn’t stop him from taking his time to explore them as he ran his hands along her sides, the tips of his fingers rubbing tiny circles into her skin.

 

Cuddy’s nails digged into his hips as her foot pressed against the small of his back, urging him to thrust deeper as she moaned into his mouth.

 

House adjusted himself and slowed his pace to a near halt as he thrust into her. He stilled for a moment before slowly pulling out. He could feel her squirm beneath him as he teased her entrance with the tip of his cock before he slowly pushed into her. He kept this pace with her, knowing that it was absolutely driving her up the wall with the increased neediness of her panting.

 

He felt her muscles start to contract and she arched into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face into his neck. He breath was hot against him as she muffled her staggered moans against his neck as she came.

 

He groaned as he picked up his pace, the warm sensation of her orgasm pulsating against him, bringing him his own peak. 

 

When he was spent he pressed his forehead against hers and kissed her. 

 

He had missed her so fucking much.

 

“So now what?” He asked quietly, reminiscent of their first night together.

 

“I was hoping this was the beginning of it.” She responded, intertwining their fingers. 

 

* * *

  
She checked on Rachel one last time before returning to bed. She’d left House’s apartment and told him to spend the night. He’d shown up an hour ago and had made himself at home. It was as if he had never left to begin with.

 

“She’s sound asleep.” She said as House pulled her down onto the bed. She leaned into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

 

“So…” He said, running his fingers over her stomach.

 

“I’m going to tell my mother and my sister after my next ultrasound.” 

 

“Is this your way of asking me to be there?”

 

“I don’t want to force you into anything. I’m just letting you know what my plan is.”

 

“I’ll be there.”

 

“I also don’t want to do the whole baby shower thing, or those stupid gender reveals people are doing. I don’t want to make this a big extravaganza. I just want to keep this between us and the people that matter.”

 

“Ok. And what about the birth plan? You’re due at the end of December. So how are we going to make this whole parenting thing work?”

 

“Can we just...take a month or two to work on us before we figure that out?”

 

“Lisa Cuddy...not wanting to plan ahead for something? Pregnancy brain must really be doing a number on you.”

 

“Shut up. If this is going to work, I have to make some changes too. You going back to therapy is a big deal. You can’t be the only one making some self improvements. I need to learn how to loosen up.”

 

“Oh, I cannot wait to use that against you.” House responded from behind her. She could hear him smirk as he spoke.

 

“We’re starting over. I wasn’t expecting it to happen so suddenly -- I knew that this pregnancy would make this a possibility, but honestly, I thought we’d still be circling the idea in six months and I just don’t want you to feel like you have to tiptoe around me again.”

 

“Trust me, there will be no tiptoeing.”

 

“Good. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.” She responded, turning to face him. “It’s two a.m., can we go to bed now? I’m going to be late in the morning.”

 

“YOU’RE the one who wanted to have sex again when I got here. We could have been asleep an hour and a half ago.”

 

“Are you complaining about sex?” She asked, raising an eyebrow before rolling over onto her side of the bed.

 

“No, mistress.” He replied as she leaned her head against his chest.

 

“Good night, House.”

 

* * *

“Can you get the door? Please?” Cuddy asked as she sat down at the dining room table.

 

House knew it was a ploy to avoid her mother and sister immediately realizing why she had asked them to come over. At sixteen weeks pregnant she was beginning to look like she had swallowed a cantaloupe. 

 

“I thought you two had broken up.” Julia said the moment he pulled the door open.

 

“Did your mother ever teach you any manners?” He responded, nodding at Arlene before stepping aside and letting them in. “How’s the new hip holding up?” He asked, shutting the door behind him and leading them into the dining room.

 

“Well, it’s not poisoning me like the last one, so it’s got one good thing going for it.” She responded, rolling her eyes.

 

As different as Cuddy and her mother were at times, there was no denying she was Arlene’s daughter.

 

“Lisa, are you not going to stand up and greet us?” Arlene commented the moment they entered the dining room.

 

“She can’t, sprained her ankle.” House responded, as he dropped down into the chair beside her and draped his arm around the back of her chair.

 

“It’s those heels she’s always wearing. Makes her look like a cheap escort.” 

 

“Mom. Come on, we haven’t even been here five minutes.” Julia said as she sat down at the table, across from her sister. 

 

House wondered if there would ever be a time where Arlene was around and she wouldn’t get on his last damn nerve. Her comments towards Cuddy were always so mean spirited and without cause. He had made a handful of mean spirited comments towards her himself in the past, but he knew when to draw the line. Her mother didn’t.

 

“Why are we here? And more importantly, why is  _ he _ here?” Arlene asked as eyed them both.

 

House watched as Cuddy let out a heavy sigh before sliding her most recent ultrasound across the table, face down.

 

“Don’t be coy, Lisa.” Arlene responded as she turned it over. “Oy vey.”

 

“ _ Oh my god _ .” Julia responded, grabbing it and examining it closer. “Sixteen weeks?! And you’re just telling us now?!”

 

“She doesn’t want us a part of her life, Julia. That’s why she hides things from us. Let’s be glad she didn’t just show up announced with another baby.”

 

House watched as Cuddy brought a hand up to the bridge of her nose. He slid a hand down to her knee and gave her a comforting squeeze.

 

“You know I have had history of miscarriage in the past, mom. I waited until I was a little less in the danger zone before telling you. This isn’t about you. This is about having to spare myself the heartbreak if I had told you before and then miscarried. I didn’t want to go through that again.”

 

“So is this why House is here? You two are back together?” Her sister asked, sliding the ultrasound over to her mother and crossing her arms. “Are you still on drugs?”

 

“No, I’m not actually. Seven weeks sober now. Went back to therapy too. Thanks for your concern though, but I’m pretty sure we know what we’re doing, both being doctors and all.”

 

“Lisa’s not a real doctor anymore. When was the last time she really practiced medicine? She’s a glorified secretary.” Arlene scoffed in response before sliding the ultrasound back across the table. 

 

“What is your  _ problem?  _ Your daughter runs one of the top hospitals in the country, number one in the state. Why isn’t that good enough for you? Do you hate the fact that she didn’t follow the conventional path so much that you have to belittle her at every opportunity? Is that it? You’re upset that she amounted to more than you and your other daughter combined? That she didn’t settle to become a miserable housewife?”

 

“I don’t know who you think you’re talking to.”

 

“He’s talking to you, mom. He’s right. You can’t go five minutes without making some unnecessary comment. You would have thought that after almost dying you would be nicer to her. It’s no wonder she never wants us around.” Julia responded as she reached across the table to squeeze her sister’s hand. “Listen, you know House better than anyone here.” 

 

House rolled his eyes as Julia side-eyed him. 

 

“If this is what you want, I’m going to support you. You know what’s best for you, and for this baby. You’re my sister, and I want you to be happy. And so does mom, even though she has a hard time showing it. Whatever you need, just let me know.”

 

“Lisa and I have a different sort of relationship, Julia. I don’t need to coddle her in order for her to know that I love her, like I have to do with you. She can handle the comments.”

 

“Yeah, but you know something, mom? It’d be nice if for once,  you were just happy for me. No mean comments. Just...be happy that I’m happy. I’m pregnant, mom. You know how much I thought this would never happen.”

 

House could hear Cuddy’s voice crack and he wrapped his arm around her waist. He wanted to reassure her that there was someone in the room who would always be on her side.

 

“I am happy for you, honey. I just wish you hadn't been so cryptic…Is your ankle really sprained or was that just a ploy to hide your stomach?” Arlene responded, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“A ploy.” Cuddy responded with a watery laugh before standing and rounding the table, stopping between her mother and sister. House watched as her hands immediately cradled her stomach.

 

“Oh my god.”

 

House watched as all three women stood, fawning over Cuddy’s bump. He could never understand the fascination women had with one another’s stomachs when pregnant, but this was enough to ease the tension between the three and for that he was grateful. 

 

He had been expecting this entire encounter to go a lot worse, and had Julia not agreed with him, there was no way the conversation would have de-escalated as quickly. 

 

“Since this seems to have been handled without anyone killing anyone else, I am going to run some errands that need to be done.” He announced as he stood. “Julia, Arlene. I can’t say it’s been a pleasure but maybe next time won’t be as bad.” He nodded in farewell.

 

“Let me know if you need anything.” House said as he stopped beside Cuddy, before giving her temple a quick kiss.  “You too, little Greg.” He continued, giving her stomach a pat.

 

“Little Greg? Is it a boy?” He heard as he exited the dining room and headed towards the front door. He smirked, shutting the front door behind him.

 

* * *

  
“I’m thinking of buying a house.”

 

Cuddy was so taken aback by the words that had just left House’s mouth that the water she was in the midst of drinking went down her windpipe.

 

“Jesus, it’s not that shocking.” House replied as he came around the back of her desk and rubbed her back.

 

“Are you asking me to move in with you?!” She asked when she managed to breathe properly again.

 

“No, but there’s going to be room for you and Rachel if you’re up for it. And little Greg, obviously.” He continued as he leaned against her desk.

 

Rachel had taken the sudden reappearance of House in her life so much better than Cuddy had expected it to go. What she hadn’t realized was how much her daughter had come to adore House in the time that they had been dating. She was just glad to have her friend back. 

 

“I hope you know that if this child is a boy, we are not naming him little Greg.” She responded, rolling her eyes. 

 

“Well it’s not  _ my  _ fault that they turned their back to us when Lopez tried to tell us the gender at your sixteen and twenty week ultrasounds.”

 

“Yeah, well twenty-four weeks is coming up next week so hopefully we’re able to know. And hopefully someone decides they want to make some more movement every once in a while.”

 

“Are you saying you’re dying to be kicked in the ribs constantly?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I’m just saying that it would be a nice reprieve from the constant pushing on my bladder. Who knew a child of yours would be so calm?”

 

“Just wait until they’re a member of the outside world, baby.”

 

“So when are you thinking of going house hunting?” She asked as she swiveled her chair around so that she was facing him. 

 

“I already have. Narrowed it down to two houses — one is  actually just a few blocks from here. You just gotta choose one.”

 

“Why do I have to choose?”’ She responded, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Because you’re going to live there too? I couldn’t care less about that the place looks like.”

 

“I didn’t say I was moving in.”

 

“Oh please, as if you weren’t already thinking of moving into a bigger place. I heard you on the phone with the realtor two weeks ago.”

 

Cuddy could feel her cheeks redden. She had begun to toy with the idea of moving into a larger home together, but she hadn’t been able to muster up the courage to talk to him about it. Things between them since they had reconciled had been great so far; there wasn’t any valid reason for her to avoid bringing it up.

 

“Fine. We can go see these places this weekend.”

 

“In the meantime, we should probably hire some movers to pack. You know you’ve been miserable being pregnant all summer and just because it’s almost September, that doesn’t mean it won’t be as humid. You’ll be useless when it comes to packing.”

 

“Now why would I do that when you have a team that is perfectly capable of helping out? Let them know that this can replace their clinic hours. I’m sure they’ll prefer that to human interaction.”

 

“So you’re moving in?” House asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“I guess so.” 

 

* * *

 

They settled on the house closest to the hospital — it was so close they could walk to work if they wanted to. House had known from the moment he told Cuddy about the house being so close to work that regardless of what it looked like, it would be the one she chose. She was a helicopter parent, he knew that, and the convenience of being so close to the hospital meant that either one of them could pop in at any point in the day.

 

It was a four bedroom, two bathroom Tudor with a study that could be used as a home office, and a living room large enough that House would have no problem finding space for his piano, and his vast collection of books. 

 

“This is a nice place.” Wilson said as he began to unload books from their box and into the bookshelf.

 

“I have  _ some _ sense of taste.” House responded as he made his way to the bookshelf and but the books back into the boxes. “Leave those, I’ll do them.”

 

“You organize them in a certain way don’t you?” Wilson responded, shaking his head.

 

“By subject, then by page count.” He retorted.

 

“You guys knows what you’re having yet?”

 

“Nope. Everytime we go to find out the little shit’s turned its back to us.”

 

“You leaning towards anything in particular?”

 

“Human would be great.”

 

“He wants a boy.” Cuddy said as she walked into the room carrying a bag of take out. “And don’t call our kid a little shit before they’re even out of the womb.” She chastised as she set the bag down on the coffee table and joined them at the bookshelf. 

 

“Whatever they are though, they’re definitely a lot more active than they were two weeks ago.” She commented a she grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach.

 

House had felt the flutters of movement here and there in the last few weeks, but this was the first time he had felt a solid kick. Suddenly he realized how  _ real _ this was becoming. 

 

In a few months’ time he would be the father to a newborn child, something he had never even imagined would happen. He’d never given children a second thought. It wasn’t that he didn’t necessarily want them — it was that he didn’t think he’d ever find someone who would be willing to deal with him in that capacity for the rest of their lives. Then he was with Cuddy, and with her having Rachel, and his getting used to her, growing fond of her even, he figured if things worked out for them in the long run she was enough, there was no reason to even consider more. But of course, initially things did not work out for them, and then Cuddy found out she was pregnant, and now here they were. Owning a home together, preparing for the impending arrival of another human being into their lives.

 

It was terrifying.

 

“Got a soccer player on our hands.” He responded, pulling himself out of his head. He didn’t need to psychoanalyze himself, that’s what he was paying Nolan for and as much as he hated to admit it, therapy was doing him well. 

 

He was trying to be better when it came to his personal life, and that meant trying to be more communicative in his relationship with Cuddy, which in turn helped her be more understanding of him. 

 

At the end of the day they were just two people who were trying their hardest to strengthen their relationship.

 

“I am going to head out. I’ve got to give the cat her insulin.” Wilson said as an alarm on his phone went off.

 

“There’s a container of lo mein for you in the bag.” Cuddy responded as she releases House’s hand. He watched as she walked over to the coffee table and dug through the bag of food, handing a rubber ware container to Wilson.

 

“See you guys at work.”

 

“We’ll be back on Wednesday. Taking the next two days to unpack.” 

 

“And christen the place.” House quipped, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

“You’re disgusting.” Wilson responded before leaving. 

 

“So speaking of christening…”

 

“I am nearly six months pregnant, I highly doubt you really want to have sex with me.”

 

“I’m gonna wanna have sex with you when you’re nine months pregnant and don’t want me in the same house as you.”

 

“You’re only saying that because you want to get in my pants.” She teased as he walked towards her.

 

He dropped down onto the couch and pulled her onto his lap.

 

“Maybe so.”

 

She leaned forward and kissed him, grabbing his crotch as she did so.

 

“Food first, sex later.” She responded, pulling away.

 

“Tease.”

* * *

 

“You still don’t know what you’re having?” 

 

It was Tuesday and Cuddy had a standing lunch date with Wilson.

 

“Nope. Every time we tried to find out during an appointment, someone decided to turn away. We’ve given up. The nursery colors are a stormy grey and a light blue. House thinks it’s a boy. I  _ know  _ it’s a girl.”

 

“How do you know it’s a girl?” Wilson asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I just do.” She responded, taking a sip of her water. 

 

“Names?”

 

“House is responsible for girl names and I’m responsible for boy names. If it’s a boy -- and it’s not -- I’ve chosen Benjamin. I don’t know what House’s name ideas are since we decided not to bring them up to one another until I’m in labor.”

 

“Not having a name chosen is so unlike you.”

 

She shrugged in response swallowing her mouthful of food. 

 

“I’ve been trying to accept the fact that I can’t control everything. The stress of… trying to be perfect isn’t healthy for me and it’s sure as hell not good for my relationship.”

“I’m happy for you guys. It’s been a long time coming. It’s nice to watch you two just accept that you’re supposed to be together.” Wilson responded, reaching across the table to give her hand a squeeze.

 

“I am seven and a half months pregnant, for the love of god do not make me start crying.” She chuckled, squeezing his hand back. “You’re only saying this to me because House would never let you get away with saying something like this to him.” 

 

“You know there’s a hospital pool going on about whether or not he’ll cry?”

 

“You’re terrible!” 

 

“Yet you’re smiling.”

 

“Shut up, Wilson.”

 

* * *

They’d decided against having a housewarming when they had moved in and against a baby shower as well because they didn’t need anything for the house, and as for the nursery -- Cuddy was picky. House had gone with her a few weeks prior to pick out furniture at several stores and he couldn’t have been anymore grateful when she had finished picking things out. He’d occasionally put in his input when she asked for his opinion on something. A few times  _ he  _ had been the one to make the final decision, like how the rocking chair had to be a recliner because of how many times he’d heard her complain about how uncomfortable it had been when she fell asleep on the one she had when Rachel was born. 

 

Another reason he had wanted to make sure it was comfortable was because he knew that he would be spending most nights in that chair, especially when Cuddy returned to work. Between the two of them, he functioned best on little to no sleep. Besides, if he slept while at work, it wouldn’t look as bad as if the Dean of Medicine was passed out in her office. 

 

Since they had avoided the usual customary gatherings, Cuddy had insisted on having people over for Thanksgiving. It hadn’t been as awful as he thought he would be. Their mothers got along surprisingly well. Julia’s kids didn’t break anything and her husband didn’t try and make small talk with him and instead took a liking to Wilson. They had invited his team as well and Chase, Thirteen, and Masters had shown up. Chase was surprisingly good with kids and had kept Rachel and her cousins entertained for the majority of the evening. He found Thirteen flitting herself between the kitchen where the women were cooking and the living room where everyone else was located. As much as he hated being surrounded by so many people, House had to admit, he wasn’t completely miserable. Sure Cuddy’s sister drove him insane, but at least Cuddy was having a good time. He could see how happy she was, surrounded by the people she cared about. 

 

“You good?” Thirteen asked.

 

House had been leaning against the railings on the patio, finishing up a beer and just getting some air.

 

“Totally fine.” He responded as she joined him against the railing.

 

“You’re not going to be like your dad. Stop worrying about that. You’ve changed a lot since I first started working for you. You’re not as hardened as you were, and I know it’s because you’re actually happy. But you’re afraid to admit that you are because you’re afraid that if you do, you’ll lose everything again. You’ve got a house full of people who are rooting for you — for the both of you — and are going to support you no matter what.  Embrace it.”

 

“A death sentence really has somehow made you wise beyond your years.” He quipped, rolling his eyes.

 

“Less time to learn the lessons that should be learned at your age.” Thirteen responded, shrugging him off. “You and I are a lot more similar than you’d like to admit, and me reading you so well makes you a little uncomfortable.” She continued, playfully nudging him in the side. “It also doesn’t help that your mom like, loves me.”

 

“You’re like the little sister I never asked for.”

 

“Haha.” She responded, mockingly. “Now come back inside, your mom made me come out here and get you. She made apple pie and would rather you have some before it gets cold.”

 

* * *

 

House had become increasingly more protective as her pregnancy neared its end and as odd as it was to see him be so attentive, it was sweet, albeit a little suffocating. They had just gotten out of the shower when her water broke. She didn’t mind the showering together because it meant she wouldn’t have to worry about slipping in the shower, or trying to pick up anything she dropped or managed to knock over. In this case, she was even more grateful for the fact because had he not been there with her she would have frozen in absolute disbelief.

 

“Have you had any contractions yet?”  House asked asked as she finished getting dressed. It was the night before Christmas Eve and snowing heavily and even though it was only a fifteen minute drive to the hospital, she still managed to put on a hoodie over the long sleeve shirt she had put on with the thickest pair of yoga pants she could find. 

 

“No. Can you help me put on shoes, please?” She asked as she sat on the edge of the bed, toying with her sleeves.

 

She watched as he walked over to their dresser and pulled out a pair of socks before getting her sneakers on.

 

“You’re gonna be fine.” He said quietly as he pulled her hand away from her sleeves. “I’ve got you.” He whispered as he pressed his lips to her forehead. 

* * *

 

He could sense Cuddy’s anxiety heighten with each contraction which was why he hadn’t contacted her mother or her sister to them know she had gone into labor. Julia had taken Rachel for the week because of the fact that it was so close to Cuddy’s due date that it would be best to have her out of the house for a few days, just to give Cuddy some peace of mind. Besides, Christmas was coming up and they knew Rachel would have much rather been running around with her cousins. 

 

House knew the moment that he informed Arlene and Julia of what was going on, they would immediately drive over and disrupt the peace. The last thing he wanted was for there to be more people around that would just stress everyone else out even more. 

 

“You want some more ice chips?” He asked she squeezed his hand through what seemed like a particularly painful contraction. 

 

“No.” She responded, eyes closed as she took a deep breath and released his hand. “Can you lay up here with me? I’m cold.”

“How do you wanna do this? Want me to lay down next to you or do you want me to help you up so I can get in there and you can lay against me?”

 

“Help me up. I have to pee anyway.” 

 

He stood and grabbed her hands, helping her stand. She cried out in pain and crumpled against him as another contraction hit her. He held her as she squeezed his forearms, her face buried into his shoulder as she steadied her breathing. 

 

“Jesus Christ.” She huffed as she tried to straighten herself up.

 

He helped her to the bathroom before paging Lopez. Her contractions were coming closer and closer together and it had been nearly an hour and a half since they had last checked how many centimeters she had dilated. The previous check in had her at three. 

 

“How’s our mama doing?” Lopez asked as she entered the room several minutes later, sliding the door closed behind her. 

 

“Contracting.” Cuddy hissed through her teeth as House massaged the small of her back. 

 

“That’s a good thing! Let’s go ahead and see if there’s been any changes in your dilation.” 

 

Cuddy shifted against him in discomfort and he brought his mouth to her ear.

 

“You’re okay.” He said quietly, running a hand along her arm.

 

His main priority was to make sure that she knew she would be okay, that no matter how afraid and anxious she was, she wasn’t alone in this. The last time she had needed him, he wasn’t there for her as she needed him to be. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. 

 

“Ok. You’re about seven centimeters dilated, which means we can administer the epidural if you want one.”

 

“Well, if someone had come in here an hour ago we probably could have done it then, but yes, I do want one.”  

 

House chuckled to himself at Cuddy’s reaction. It wasn’t like her to be as snippy with someone who was trying to help her, but it was obvious that the amount of pain she was in was starting to get to her after four hours.

 

“Great! I will come back with one of the nurses and we can get you settled. Shouldn’t be much longer.”

* * *

  
She had been admitted to the hospital at eight pm and the epidural had been administered at midnight. It was nearing three a.m. and thanks to the medication the pain of the contractions had simmered down to an unpleasant stinging. 

 

“You’re doing good.” House said as she felt him kiss the back of her head. 

 

“It’s because you’re here.” She responded quietly, before turning to look him in the face. “You know when I found out I was pregnant I was so prepared to do this alone if I had made it this far. But you...you’ve been here with me every single step of the way, even before we got back together, and you have loved me through the worst mood swings I’ve ever had to deal with, and you’ve been so good with Rachel, and my mom, and my sister. I couldn’t have -- I can’t do this without you. There’s no one else I would have rather done this with, no matter how insane you drive me.”

 

“You don’t need me, you’ve been a mother just fine without a man around. But honestly, no matter what standing we were in with one another, I wouldn’t have let you do it alone. I could hardly look myself in the mirror after we broke up, and if I hadn’t been there for you throughout this, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. If it were anyone else...I wouldn’t be here. I’ve already lost you once, and I am trying my goddamn hardest to not lose you again.”

 

“I love you so much.”

 

“I know. I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.”

 

* * *

  
“Deep breath...push.” House whispered quietly into Cuddy’s ear as she tensed against him. 

 

For someone as small as she was, the grip she had on his hands was almost numbing after half an hour.  

 

“Just a few more and you’ll be able to take a break, Dr. Cuddy. Take a deep breath.” Dr. Lopez said between the stirrups. 

 

“I am so fucking tired.” Cuddy cried as she slumped against him.

 

“I know you are, I know. But just a few more and you’ll be able to hold that baby that you’ve wanted for so long. Take another breath...one...two...three.”

 

“That’s great, you’re doing so great! Just a few more, I can already see the head.”

 

“Hey, look at me.” He said tilting her head up to have her look him in the eye before he gave her a quick peck. “I love you. You’re almost there.” 

 

* * *

 

She gave one final push before the room was suddenly filled with loud crying.

 

“Say hello to your daughter.” Dr. Lopez said as she placed the baby on Cuddy’s chest before she handed House a surgical scissor to cut the umbilical cord.

 

“I told you we were having a girl.” She laughed, as tears streamed down her face, running her finger across her screaming newborn’s cheek. She could feel him bury his face into the crook of her neck.

 

“We’re gonna get take her and get her cleaned up. Did you want to keep the placenta?”

 

“No. I’m ok.” She responded as she kept her eyes on the child resting on her chest. 

 

“You did it.” House said quietly as he kissed her temple. 

 

“So what’s her name?” Cuddy asked as they sat side by side in the hospital bed once they’d had their daughter returned to them. Her fingers were brushing her fingers against their daughter’s lips as House held her in his arms.

 

“Lucille Analisa Cuddy-House.”

 

“I love it.” She responded, kissing his cheek. 

 

“I’ve returned with a teddy bear, balloons, and flowers!” Wilson announced as he walked into the room.

 

They had agreed that he was the only other person allowed in the room during the birth, because they both knew that they would have received an earful from their mothers if they hadn’t had any photos or video evidence. You would have thought that the fact that they would be meeting their granddaughter within the next day or so would have been enough proof, but because this would also be Blythe’s first, and only grandchild, the knew that at the end of the day the more memories they had of this event, the better.

 

“Do we have a name yet?” He asked as he set everything down onto one of the tables in the room.

 

“Lucy.” They responded in unison. Cuddy watched as House stood and carefully made his way over to Wilson.

 

“Lucy, meet Uncle Wilson, also known as your Godfather.”

 

“Seriously?” Wilson responded in genuine surprise as he carefully took the newborn in his arms.

 

“Yes, seriously.” She laughed from across the room. “Who else would it have been? We don’t like that many people.”

 

“Who’s her godmother?”

 

“Me.” Thirteen said as she waltzed in and dropped two containers of food onto the tray table. “House asked me to drop off breakfast for you two.” She continued as she gave Cuddy a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

 

“My hero.” Cuddy responded as she grabbed the bag and opened one of the containers. “Oh my god, you got the french toast from that place downtown? We couldn’t have chosen a better Godmother.”

 

“The bar is that low, huh?” Thirteen responded, shaking her head.

 

“It absolutely is.” House retorted.

 

* * *

  
It was nearly ten a.m. before they were left completely alone, just the three of them in the hospital room. He had managed to make the room as dark as possible — drawing the window blinds closed and the curtain to shield any incoming light from the hallway. It still didn’t make much of a difference but it was dark enough for Cuddy to fall asleep, although with as exhausted as she was, House was sure she would have fallen asleep regardless of the light. 

 

He was sitting in the recliner beside her bed, holding their daughter as she slept in his arms. He had secretly been hoping for a girl, even if he knew how much grief she would cause as a teenager. Any child of his and Cuddy’s would be bound to be a headstrong firecracker, but a daughter? She would be an unstoppable force.

 

House looked down at infant in his arms and felt an unexpected wave of emotion crash into him. He never thought he’d see the day where he was a father to a healthy baby girl, nonetheless a father at all, and the sudden realization that this was his life now, made his eyes sting with tears.

 

Lucille let out a quiet mew of content as he brushed his thumb against her cheek and he couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to himself as he quickly wiped at his eyes. 

 

“Listen kid. I don’t have the slightest clue what I’m doing, but your mom does and i know she’ll help me figure out. Though I am a doctor, so it can’t be hard, could it? I know I’m going to screw up, but believe me, I’m always gonna be on your side. I know I won’t be the perfect dad, but I promise to try and be a good dad, okay? I don’t make promises to anyone, but you’re the exception.”

* * *

**2013**

 

The moment Cuddy walks  through the door she is greeted by the sound of her daughters’ giggles. She steps out of her heels and hangs her scarf before following the sound of laughter into the living room.

 

There is a blanket fort in the middle of the room, twinkle lights hanging around the outside of it.

 

“Lucy stop laughing or she’s gonna find us.” She hears Rachel whisper, before she shushes her little sister. A tiny hand makes an appearance in an opening of the fort and Cuddy laughs as the hand disappears as quickly as it appeared.

 

She kneels down at the entrance of the fort and peaks inside. It seems like every pillow in the house is inside the fort and she can’t help but grin at the sight of Lucy leaning against her father’s back,  arms wrapped around his neck as Rachel covers herself with a blanket. She crawls into the plush palace, settling herself against House’s chest, giving him a quick peck and pulling both of their girls into a hug. 

 

She’s home.


End file.
